Run Danny Run (Chap. 15)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

At first he didn’t believe it was really his son.

"Daddy, it's about Sam. You have to come. I'm at her house. Quick."

           His son always called him "Daddy," when he was frightened. Perhaps this was not the time to turn on his siren, but he did hit the gas.

            When Trent’s Police car pulled into Sam's driveway, it was 6 PM. No other vehicle was parked there. He slid out of the seat and ran to the door just as his son answered. Andrew didn't have those spikes anymore. His hair was combed to the side just the way his mother had liked. But there was no time for conversation as he listened.

            "I got a call from Sam," Andrew said hurriedly. "I think she had an overdose, dad. Hurry up, I'll show you where she is."

            "How do you know, son?"

            “Dad, come on. I’ve seen it before,” the boy answered. "She told me her parents aren't home. They never are dad. They always buy her things to make up for it, but she isn't happy." 

            "Did you phone for an ambulance?"

            "Not yet. She doesn't want me to. Sam says this isn't the first time she tried it."

            Father and son entered the affluent home. It was supposed to be a place where a fourteen-year old girl had everything. Yet nothing seemed important to her at this moment.

Sam lay on her stomach on the bed. She was wearing a white top, and jeans. She looked like she had cut her hair, with a bread knife. Strands were sticking out in all directions. The last time Trent had seen her she had the most beautiful long ponytail.

            Did she have some kind of spat with her parents? He wondered.

            Sam gave Trent a weak pixie smile. Sitting on the floor with her back against the wall was another girl.

            "Are you a friend?" Trent asked.

            "Yes. Sam asked Andrew to call me too."

            Trent turned his full attention towards a moaning Sam. "How are you feeling?"

            "Not so good. I took 60 arthritic pills. I counted each one out as I took them. And I found 20 other pills---me kind of ‘relaxo’ pills my parents use. She sounded sleepy. “I'm so hot,” Sam said.

Officer Trent turned down the electric heat, which had been turned up so high making the room too stuffy. He checked her vital signs then called an ambulance on his radio. "Keep talking to her," he said to Andrew and Sam's friend. “Keep her sitting up, help is on the way." There was nothing more they could do.

            "Dad, she's been like this for an hour. She kept trying to get up, then flopping on the bed. She really didn't want me to call anyone, except her parents. Couldn’t find them anywhere. I phoned all over. Dad, I really tried. Then I had to call you."

            Trent looked at his son. He hadn’t called him “Dad” for a long time. “Dude” and “Hey You,” but not “Dad.” Andrew had even spoken without hateful words and cursing exiting his mouth, like a foul river. Not even once. Trent was impressed.

            "Why? Why?" Andrew kept asking Sam. "I thought you were my special girl." Then the answer smacked him right between the eyes. Their spat earlier in the day made him realize how much he must have meant to her.

He remembered saying she meant nothing to him, that there were plenty of other chicks. She had simply decided to do something about it in her own scary way.

            Trent noticed how thunderstruck his son was. To see him care for someone else was touching. He began to phone around trying to locate Sam's parents. Silly girl, he thought. She’s so pretty too. Except right now she looks like a boy with her hair all chopped off.

He looked thoughtfully at her bedroom wall covered with pictures of a rock group called, Poison.

            Then she threw up and sent everyone scurrying to help.

            As if on cue the ambulance arrived and two Emergency Health Care specialists rushed to her side.

Sam's parents added to the commotion by hurrying through the door along with their younger son. "What's going on? Sam! Are you hurt honey? Her father said."

It took only a few brief moments to bring Sam's parents up to date. "We'll follow her to the hospital," they said. Her father held out his hand to Trent. "Thanks," was all he could say through his tears.

            "Don't thank me," Trent answered. "Thank my son. I can see he really cares about your daughter."

*

Later that night, the phone rang in Deputy-Chief Delaney's office. It was a habit of his lately since there wasn’t much reason to be home.

"Dad?" It was Andrew. "Okay if I come home? I’m sorry for being such a jerk."

            "Better still," the man answered wiping away sudden tears. "I'll pick you up in five minutes." Trent left the Police Station with a song in his heart.